Why can't Indianola's elected officials seem to get along?

Indianola citizen Susan Glick tells the council she's had enough of their bickering and picking on each other.
Teresa Kay Albertson/Des Moines Register

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Mayor Kelly Shaw listens to Councilman Greg Marchant takes nearly 10 minutes of the public comment period to read personal comments about Shaw's behavior during a candidate forum more than a year ago. Marchant read his comments at the Oct. 1 2018 council meeting.(Photo: Teresa Kay Albertson/Des Moines Register)Buy Photo

Indianola's elected officials can't seem to get along, and citizens are starting to say they've had enough.

For months, the mayor and City Council members have exchanged barbs during city meetings and online.

Officials have accused each other of overstepping their roles, bullying and name-calling.

The most recent dust-up came last week as council members butted heads over whether or not the consent agenda should be read aloud before taking a vote.

Susan Glick of Indianola scolded city officials during an Oct. 1 City Council meeting.

“We’re treating each other poorly and that doesn’t represent our city well," she said. "To see everybody bickering back and forth like this and picking on each other, I just don’t know.”

Glick said the bickering had sprung up since the last city election in November 2017.

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At the Oct. 1 2018 Indianola council meeting, Councilman Greg Marchant takes nearly 10 minutes during the public comment period to read into the record his comments about critical letters Mayor Shaw (left) has received from citizens. In his comments, Marchant his claims that Shaw behaved aggressively at a candidate forum a full year previous.
Teresa Kay Albertson/Des Moines Register

Two new members joined the City Council: Greg Marchant, who had previously served on the council, won an at-large seat, beating out two challengers, and Bob Kling beat out incumbent Brad Ross for the Ward 2 seat.

“And now, since this last election, we’ve had all of this picking on every little thing," Glick said. "I think people need to learn how to lose gracefully and work together — the council and the mayor."

Nearly every elected official the Indianola Record-Herald approached acknowledged the growing tension and most suggested there is now a 2:4 split on the City Council with Joe Gezel and Shirley Clark siding with the mayor, and Bob Kling, Greg Marchant, John Parker Jr. and Greta Southall opposing him.

But most laid the blame at the feet of their political opponents.

“I’m guilty of some things and some rash behavior," Shaw said. "But if I really am the SOB they make me out to be, I wouldn’t win elections.”

The mayor said the split among elected officials resulted from a 2017 investigation he initiated over workers' claims of a hostile workplace at City Hall.

“An investigation was recommended by the chief of police and the city attorney. It’s not like I just ran off and did it myself. But in a lot of people’s minds it’s the city’s mayor versus the manager," he said.

The investigation into the city manager's office determined the claims of a hostile workplace were unsubstantiated.

When asked why Indianola's elected officials can't get along, Parker indicated the issue is complicated.

“Do you have an hour or two?” he said.

Parker said his disagreement with the mayor dates back to 2016, when he says Shaw first began claiming the city manager was questioning his authority.

Later that year, Parker says the mayor hung up on him during a phone call.

“To be honest, that’s the last time I spoke with Kelly Shaw outside of a council meeting — June 2016,” Parker said.

Parker said he believes the mayor is still trying to make the city manager "look bad."

“Ryan (Waller’s) doing a phenomenal job," he said.

“What’s going on with the council is almost childish," he added. "If I say black, others and the mayor will say white and I think that’s just dumb."

Councilman Bob Kling said those were new to the city council in 2017 "wanted to put a stop to the mayor's micromanaging."

"We have great employees and great department heads. We don’t need people on council telling them what size shovel to be using,” he said.

“I’m getting upset now because the mayor is supposed to lead us, but not once has he ever given me his vision,” Kling said.

Clark, who was first elected in 2015, said the city has changed since the last election.

“We worked together well. We were cohesive. When we had issues we were able to work through them,” she said.

"Perhaps we are dealing with too many things in the past and not thinking about the future of Indianola,” she said.

Gezel said there are a lot of egos involved, but he tries to not let the insults get in the way of city business.

“I just try to get along. I try to not get involved and I will not respond on Facebook," he said. "There’s a lot of Facebook and social media stuff, but I won’t get involved."

"I just don’t understand what all of this is gaining for the city," he said.

That sentiment was echoed by Kling.

"I hate it when this negative stuff happens," he said. "We need to get beyond that. This is a great city and everyone, including the mayor, needs to be telling people this.”

Marchant, who was elected in 2017 after losing his city council seat in 2015, put the blame for the division on what he sees as the mayor's heavy-handed management approach.

"I really believe that the divisiveness within the City Council is created by the mayor," he said.

“The mayor has an opportunity to be a leader, but I don’t think he’s exhibiting leadership skills. In my opinion, a leader would try to bring a council together rather than what I’m seeing is an attempt to divide."

Citing a Record-Herald article in which the mayor said resigning might be the best thing for his family, Marchant said: “In my opinion, he’s really not helping our city and he should do what’s best for his family."